Clinician I – Therapeutic Mentor

Children's Services                                     

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Therapeutic Mentor's role is to provide structured one-on-one interventions to a youth and his/her family that are designed to ameliorate behavioral health-related conditions that prevent age-appropriate social functioning. The Therapeutic Mentor helps to ensure the youth's success in navigating various social contexts, learning new skills, and making functional progress. The Therapeutic Mentor offers supervision of these interactions and engages the youth in discussions about strategies for effective handling of peer and adult interactions. 

Primary Functions:

• Support, coach and train the youth in age-appropriate behaviors.
• Train, coach and support the youth to demonstrate problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Provide linkages to recreational and social activities.
• Provide interventions and support to achieve established treatment goals that are assigned as part of an integrated service team for the youth.

COMPETENCIES

1. Must possess a strong commitment to assisting parent or care giver of a young person with emotional, physical, behavioral, and/or mental health challenge.
2. Successfully complete the Department of Mental Health certifications and trainings.
3. Must be able to comprehend and maintain program standards.
4. Must possess professional verbal and written communication skills.
5. Must be able to interact with children and families in a respectful and sensitive manner.
6. Must be able to work within the Organization to effectively serve the needs of the consumers.
7. Must be knowledgeable in cultural diversity and be able to work well with multi-problem families.
8. Must possess competent computer skills.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS REQUIRED: All of the following competencies listed below should be reliably and consistently demonstrated in every interaction with the youth.:

Establish therapeutic relationship with the youth:

• Must be able to introduce yourself to the youth and parent/ primary caregiver and explain your role as a Therapeutic Mentor.
• Use a positive relationship with the youth to build skills, knowledge and confidence related to the youth's goals.
• The relationship is structured and goal oriented.
• Ability to focus on the needs of the youth.
• Ability to build a strong sense of connection based in equality, common respect, and mutuality.
• Ability to demonstrate active listening skills, empathetic responses and validate the youth's experience.
• Must be able to use person-first and strength-based language in every interaction with the youth and parent/primary caregiver.

Coach and Support the Youth's Acquisition of Skills:

• Address daily living, social and communication needs.
• Help the youth navigate social contexts, learn new skills, and make functional progress.
• Support, coach and teach developmentally appropriate behaviors, interpersonal communication, problem-solving and conflict resolution, relating appropriately to others in recreational and social activities.
• Teach skills through "structured, one-to-one support services" (across life domains and settings) in order for youth to remain at home, prevent out-of-home placement, or to transition "home," to include the following interventions:
  • Teach alternative strategies
  • Provide anticipatory guidance
  • Role plays
  • Behavior rehearsals
• Supervise youth's practices of new and enhanced skills and engage the youth in discussions about effective strategies for handling "everyday" social situations.
• Help ensure the youth's success in navigating various social contexts, give feedback, coach, and support use of effective strategies.

Respect throughout the relationship

• Ability to communicate a sense of respect that the youth's voice matters and deserves to be heard.
• Ability to identify, extract and utilize the youth's functional strengths and family culture to develop individualized support plans.
• Ability to communicate a sense of cultural humility in connecting with each youth.
• Ability to identify unmet needs as a key to establishing understanding.
• Ability to assist youth in reflecting on their own journey and encourage empowerment.
• Ability to model a relational stance of respect and acceptance in all interactions with the youth.
• Strategically use own knowledge and life experiences to empower others to suspend their own bias about youth.

Link with Others in Collaboration & Problem Solving:

• Build collaborative partnerships with others demonstrating a non-adversarial advocacy approach.
• Participate as needed in team meetings.
• Ability to model a strength-based approach and utilize collaborative problem-solving techniques with others.
• Utilize youth's strengths and resiliency traits in problem solving and brainstorming solutions.
• Ability to recognize strengths of collaborative partners.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/RESPONSIBLITIES

1. Ensure that all assigned duties are implemented according to IRBH and DMH policies and procedures.
2. Ensure all safety, fire prevention, and health measures are followed while on duty.
3. Meet or exceed productivity requirements of 40 billable hours per month.
4. Maintain a minimum case load of no less than 10 families, but no more than 30 in the first year. After one year, a minimum of 20, but no more than 50 families.
5. Work in conjunction with paraprofessionals and professional staff.
6. Establish and maintain supportive relationships, observing professional boundaries.
7. Follow the DMH/DD standards for provision of services.
8. Ensure that agency vehicles have pre-trip inspections, monthly maintenance checks, and provide report documentation to supervisor and Facilities Manager.
9. If a company vehicle is not available utilize personal vehicle to accomplish work related duties.  Indian Rivers will reimburse mileage.
10. Ensure client charts are up to date and accurate.
11. Attend staffings and team meetings as assigned.
12. Ensure safety of consumers, preserving basic human and legal rights.
13. Demonstrate appropriate and ethical behavior at all times.
14. Demonstrate a positive attitude toward work and the completion of work assignments.
15. Address any consumer concerns to the Supervisor or Program Manager.
16. Provide all necessary data as required by the center and the state.
17. Maintain communication and awareness of current Organization events by reading memos, emails, bulletin boards, and communication logs and respond in a timely manner.
18. Work independently to complete assigned tasks accurately and in a timely manner with minimum supervision.
19. Support Organizational Code of Conduct, Standards Compliance, HIPAA and Security Programs by ensuring job tasks are performed in a legal and ethical manner, assessing the work area for non-compliance and notifying the supervisor, manager, Executive Director or designee as appropriate, and maintaining training requirements and understanding that training is a required condition of employment.
20. Maintain the confidential nature of all consumer and Organization related activities by not divulging information outside the facility, discussing information within the facility on a need-to-know basis, acknowledging policy annually by signing confidentiality statement, and by referring media and general inquiries to the Executive Director.
21. Adhere to attendance and punctuality policy by allowing adequate time to arrive, clock-in and assume responsibilities at designated time, adhering to meal and break times and making timely requests for annual leave and reporting the need for sick leave in accordance with policy.
22. Comply with all standards related to safety and health by maintaining current TB Test, CPR/First Aid, CPI, and by reporting infections and on-the-job injuries in accordance with policy.
23. Provide accurate documentation of billable time and service reports in a timely manner.
24. All other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Supervisor or Clinical Director.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

1. Minimum of High School Diploma or G.E.D. required and two (2) years' experience working with the target population or Bachelors Degree or Associates Degree (in human services) and one (1) year experience working with target population.
2. Must be at least 21 years of age.
3. Must have the capacity to work flexible hours, including evenings/weekends based on the needs of our clients.
4. Must be a parent/ primary caregiver with lived experience, who has raised or is currently raising a child with emotional, behavioral, physical, or mental health or substance abuse needs, has experience navigating at least two child-serving systems (i.e., education, DHR, Juvenile Court, etc.), and meets the requirements to function as the Therapeutic Mentor.
5. Must satisfactorily complete all assigned DMH and IRBH trainings and requirements, within the expected time frames.
6. Current Alabama driver's license and good driving record as defined by Indian Rivers' policy, as well as reliable transportation and proof of automobile insurance.
7. Must be able to read, write legibly, speak, and comprehend English. 

WORKING CONDITIONS, HIPAA, OTHER GUIDELINES

Job Specifications:  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities, who are otherwise qualified, to perform the essential functions.

HIPAA:  Must be knowledgeable of and abide by HIPAA regulations regarding protected health information as defined by HIPAA and IRBH. Minimally accesses verbal, written, and /or electronic PHI, usually incidentally to an approved use and /or disclosure as pertains to consumer's financial, demographic, and/or clinical data.

Working Conditions:  Works in general office environment and in homes, schools, and community settings; may require long hours. Must have the use of sensory skills to effectively communicate and interact with other employees and the public using the telephone and personal contact. Physical capability to effectively use and operate various items of office related equipment, such as, but not limited to, computer, copier, multi-line phone and fax machine. Some risk involved in the event of aggressive/out-of-control consumers. Must possess a valid Alabama driver's license.

Physical Requirements: The Physical Requirements described herein are representative of those which must be met by an employee to successfully perform the primary functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities, who are otherwise qualified, to perform essential functions.

Physical presence onsite is essential.  Hearing and vision must be normal or corrected to within normal range.  Able to perform the duties with or without reasonable accommodation.

Indian Rivers is an Equal Opportunity Employer
This Employer participates in E-Verify